For some of its artists, Baldur's Gate 3 represented a major first step into the video game world. Jennifer English, who plays Shadowheart, had small roles in Divinity: Original Scene 2 and Alden Ring. Theo Solomon, the voice behind Wyll, has had a career on stage and on-screen, but Baldur's Gate 3 remains his only gaming credit. And, like a combination of English and Solomon, Lae'zel actress Devora Wilde had extensive on-screen acting credits but had never played a major role in a major video game until this point.
For Wilde, acting in the game proved to be a huge eye-opener. Before Baldur's Gate 3, Tara admits to having a limited understanding of the medium, but later realized that video games could offer “proper storytelling”.
Devorah Wilde's eyes were truly opened by Baldur's Gate 3
Speaking to TheGamer at the launch of an unannounced project (keep your eyes open next week for more on that), Wilde talked me through what Baldur's Gate 3 means.
“It feels really bad to say it now, but it was a huge turning point for me,” she said. “That was the moment I realized it was the right kind of storytelling. I didn't really know much before I went to Baldur's Gate. I just thought, 'Oh, video games, they're kind of fun, a game with some cutscenes,' but when I got into the game, I was like, 'Okay, this is serious stuff, in the best way.'
Well, this is serious stuff, in the best way.
The actor echoed comments she made earlier this year, telling me, “It's one of the best-written things I've ever acted in, across all mediums. It's audiobooks, video games, movies, or TV. It's just one of the best-written things I've ever read and had the pleasure of being in; it's incredible.”
During our chat, co-star Jennifer English chimed in, saying, “Lae'zel was really cool,” but for Wilde, it was more than just her character. “Every character had so much depth,” she said. “Even the NPCs that had some lines, I always felt like there was some kind of little backstory going on.”
Earlier this year, Wilde noted that Baldur's Gate made him “really love video games” and that it's hard to imagine a better introduction to the medium than the game he starred in.
While we remain tight-lipped about the upcoming project, you can read event snippets from our other conversations with gaming's biggest stars. Baldur's Gate 3 performance director, Aliona Baranova, revealed that the game's actors were called to re-record with they/them pronouns, and Jennifer Hale shared that, despite her CV, she is still offered less to attend conventions than some of her male counterparts.
- issued
-
August 3, 2023
- ESRB
-
M for Mature: Blood and gore, partial nudity, sexual content, strong language, violence
- Engine
-
Divinity 4.0
- Multiplayer
-
Online co-op, local co-op
- Cross-platform play
-
Full cross-platform play.
